Evaporator construction



various forms and Patented Se t. 14, 1948 i -2,g44 ,o94

Harold E. Wlecler, Chicago, lil. Application April 7, 1944, Serial No.`&29,965

This invention relates to refrigerator constructions in general. andmore particularly to the construction on the inside of the refrigerator.More specincally. the invention relates to an arrangement of shelvingand cold plates within the interior ot the refrigerator.

The primary object .of the present invention is the provision oi a newand improved method'and arrangement of positioning cold piatescontinuously by bending the cold plate back and forth upon itself so asto provide for the proper amount of reirigeration area within the box orrefrigerator, and at the same time use the cold plate as shelving.

A- further important object of the invention resides in the arrangingand positioning of a cold plate within the inside of the refrigerator bybending the cold plate in step formation so as to provide shelves withinthe interior of the refrigerator. and at the same time insure asuflicient amount of cold piate area so that the properrefrigerationwithin the refrigerator may be obtained. A

numerous other obiects and advantages will be apparent throughout theprogress of the foliow ing speciiication. g

The accompanying drawing illustrates a' selected e'mbodiment of theinvention, and the views' thei-ein are as foilows:

Fig. 1 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the interior of oneform of refrigerator with which the invention is inco-porated:

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view showing one form of cold platematerial which is bent' back and forth upon itself to provide spacedparallel shelving:

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4-4 of Pie. 3: and e Fig.5 is a detail perspective view showing grill or mesh-work which may beapplied on top of the projections or protuberances if desired. Theparticular construction herein shown for the purpose of iilustratingthe' invention comprises a refrigerator i having enclosing wails 2. Onewall is provided with an opening therein to permit access to theinterior of the reirigerator, there being one or more doors I providedfor closing the opening; v

A practical application for arranging a surface of suflicient coolingarea in the interior of the ref-igerator is by means of a cold plateconstruction. The cold plate construction may assume adaptations and mayconsist 2 Claims. (Ci. (iz-428) of cold `plate has been cut of sheetsSecured together with proper channels between the sheets so as 'topermit proper flow of refrigerant material through the cold plateconstruction. The particular type of cold plate construction hereinshown for illustrative purposes comprises an extruded metal cold plateconstruction, whereby there isformed by the extrusion process a coldplate construction 4 comprising opposed surfaces 5 and 8. Protuberancesor pro'- ;lectio'n 'I spaced a predetermined distance apart extendupwardly from the surface I. These 'spaced iongitudinai projections orprotuberances'. during a continuous ext-ruding process. are formedintegral with the piate construction 4 and are provided withlongitudinal bores or openings I to permit the flow of refrigeranttherethrough.

The protuberances T are spaced close enough together so that the entiresurface is adapted to be cooled by the refrigerant passing through thelongitudinal openings i. The cold plate construction of the above typehas been used for refrigerator cooling purposes; however. a certainlength to the desired length andpositioned within the refrigerator.particularly in close proximity to the interior' walls of therefrigerator. The shelves, usually of metal mesh or wire, have' beensupported on clips or brackets so that articles to be cooled may besupported by these shelves.

The present invention contemplates the use of a cold plate constructionwhereby a continuous or single length of cold plate material is bentback and !orth upon itself to provide not only the required coolingsurface, but also to provide shelves.

There is disclosed in Fig. 3 a single length of cold plate construction4 arranged paralle to the upper and lower surfaces of the box to providea shelf 9. The sheet of cold plate material 4 is bent at lil to providean end section ll. The material is then again bent at Iz to provide ashelf ll which is paraliel to the shelf 9. The material is then bent atl4 to provide an end section iS. The material is again bent at i! toprovide a shelf i'l 'which is parallel to the shelves !3 and 9. Ifadditional shelves are required, they are formed by bending the materialalong the lines i! and i! to provide spaced lower shelves 20. There maybe as many benda in the single continuous length of cold plate material4 as is suflicient cooling area. as well as to provide sumcient shelvingspace.

A relatively deep only require a certain area of cooling surface to coolthe box properly, and therefore it may be desirabie not to have the coldplate construcnecessary to provide' box i, as herein shown, may

tion i s, width equal to the full depth of the box. In such cases theback and forth flat plate con- 'truction may be provided to extendoutwardly a predetermined distance, as shown in Fix. 2, and the shellspace supplemented by conventional grill or wire shelves Zi, 22, and 23in elinement with the cold plete shelves a. |1 and 20, respectively.

The bending book and forth oi' a continuous sheet of cold pleteconstruction material -6 will in elternete shelves such es e end I'i,have the protuberonces 'i p'oiccting upwerdly from the upp-er surface E.In such cases e, wire mesh or grill section 26 may he supported on thetop of the protuberonces 'i to provide a !lush surface for the materialwhich is to be supported.

The invention 'provides en extremely economioel method for the interierconstruction oi' a refrigeretor -wherein the shelves ect as the coolingeres, or. steting ii; in the reverse, Wherein the cooling pletes act esthe shelves for the refrigerator. The Construction herein shown has beenembodied, in e. praotioel device and it hes been found that the cost ofthe interier sheiving end cooling errengement of e. refrigeretor hasbeen reduced by epproximoteiy two-thirds Also, in standard boxes thematerial may be cut to single iengths so that it may be economicellystored without taking up much room, and, in feet, the material may be soshipped with the reirgerator and then bent et the time the reirigeratoris installed for use. In most instenoes, ho ivever, it has been founddesirebe to bend the material to the proper configuretion and install itwithin the box by means of suitable supporting breckets 253. Figs. 1 and2.

The pipe connections from the compressor for communication with theopenings 8 are not herein shown but it is, of course, understood thatthe proper refrigerent supply lines ere properly connected'to permit e.oirculation of fluid from the compressor through the cold pletes, thendraining back to the oompressor.

The invention provides for the use of a single section of cooling pleteConstruction bent back and forth upon itself to provide supportingshelves, all of which ere properly cooled and all of which provide forthe proper cooling area required, thereby conserving space and reducingcosts to e. minimum.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and orrangement of theperts without departing rrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificingany of its attendant advantages, and the right is hereby reserved tomake ei such changes es feirly fell within the scope oi' the followingclaims.

The invention is hereby claimed es i'ollows:

1. A refrigerator comprising a cebinet and a plurelity of refrigeratedshelves mounted within the cobinet and made i'rom e. single strip ofextruded material bent to provide e, plurality of horizontal shelfportion oonnecting a pair of said shelr portions, said strip havingspaced longitudinel ducts formed therein and extending in saidhorizontal shelf and riser portions for the pessageo refrigeranttherethrough, and e foraminous grill forming a shelf extension supportedin coplaner alinement'with at least one of said horizontal shell'portions.

2. A refrigerator comprising e cebinet and e. plur'ality ofr'efrigerated shelves mounted within the cebinet and made from a singlestrip of extruded material having a piurelity of speced longitudinailye'xtenoling ribs in a surface thereoi', said ribs being formed withchannels therein for the accommodation of e refrigereting medium, saidstrip being =bent back and forth upon itself to provide horizontallyextending and verticelly spaced shelf and interconnected riser portions.some of seid shelf portions having said ribs at the upwardly facingsuriieces thereof, a. foreminous floor member supported on said ribs toform an article carrying shelf. and e ioramino s member formine e sheliextension mounted at an edge of et least oneof said shalt portions andin coplenar alinement with the *foreminous floor member thereon HAROLD.E. WHEELER.

REFERENCE CITED The following referenoes are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- portions and an integral riser

